Thornton then fired a 9mm handgun, striking Golden in the lower left back, Clancy said.

Golden, of the 7600 block of South Dante Avenue, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A 9mm bullet was removed from his body at the Cook County Medical Examiner's office and a 9mm casing was found at the scene, court documents show.

In June of this year, someone came forward and identified Thornton in a lineup as the shooter, Clancy said. A separate witness, who ducked into the gas station for cover, told police Thornton reached into his waistband right before the shooting, she added.

Thornton was arrested on Oct. 26 and charged with first-degree murder. He currently is serving a two-year probation in a drug case from earlier this year, for which he was sentenced Sept. 13, according to court records.